Flirting With Death: The Hunted Series: A short story

by Ali Winters

  “Evander.”

  “Evan…der. Really? That’s your name?” The corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk.

  He nodded.

  “I was expected something more sinister. Maybe, Hades, or Rasputin, or even Grim.”

  He drew his eyebrows together. “What a strange assumption. But I am hardly—as you say—‘sinister.’” I do not kill for sport, but because it is my job.”

  “Your job pays well then?”

  His brows furrowed, as he found himself being drawn into this ridiculous conversation, but no part of him minded. It was nothing like an encounter he’d ever expected to have with a human. Not that he ever thought to stop and talk with any. She had to be in shock. It was the only thing that would explain her ramblings. He was death personified, not some guy making balloon animals. She was rocking from side-to-side nervously, inching closer to him and further away from the body. Evander cleared his throat.

  “Who are you?” she asked.

  “I already told you.”

  “Oh… right, I meant, err… what are you? How…?” She faltered.

  “Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.”

  A silence stretched out between them like an endless desert. She scanned him from head to toe, taking in his cape and the Scythe strapped to his back. She knew what he was, but he knew she wouldn’t dare say the words out loud.

  “I suppose I should call someone about Tony.”

  “Is that what usually happens?”

  “I don’t know… I think so. I’ve never been around a dead body before.”

  Evander spun, his cloak billowed out behind him. Piper reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him. The touch of her delicate fingers wrapped around his betrayed her fear.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Where are you going? You’re not going to leave me alone with a dead body are you?” She asked, ignoring his question.

  “My job here is finished. I am going to turn in my assignment and wait for the next.”

  Her eyes dropped to the ground. “Oh… can’t you stay for a while?”

  He turned back to face her. Her green eyes sparkled up at him, her lips parted.

  “I just… I don’t want to be alone.” She lowered her eyes and chewed her bottom lip.

  “I—I must go now.”

  With that, Evander removed his hand from her grasp, pulled his hood over his head and vanished from sight. He stayed. Her plea had made it impossible for him to leave.

  Piper stood, wide-eyed and gaping at where he had just been. Her eyes misted over, and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She inhaled a shaky breath, pulled her cell phone out of her purse, and dialed a number.

  She looked so sad. Not sad because she lost someone she cared about; it was a different type of sadness. The gaping hole in her heart showed in her pained expression. Evander backed into the alleyway. She believed he’d left, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Not just yet.

  She paced nervously, her arms wrapped tightly around herself until a car with flashing lights pulled up next to her.

  “Excuse me miss? Were you the one that placed the call?” A uniformed man asked, as he got out of the car.

  “Yes.” She said weakly.

  A second man stepped out of the car and accompanied the first. “I am Officer Stevens, and this is Officer Brent,” He motioned to the man bent down over Evander’s mark. “Can you tell us what happened?” he asked flipping open a small notepad.

  “I—well, I…” She stammered.

  Evander stepped up behind her, placed his hand on her shoulder, and whispered softly in her ear. “He collapsed.”

  She froze. “He collapsed,” she repeated obediently. “I tried CPR…”

  The uniformed man continued to question her. The whole time, Evander stood next to her, his hand still resting on her shoulder. She couldn’t see him, but he let her know he was there by allowing her to feel the weight of his presence. If another reaper asked him why he continued to stay, he wouldn’t have an answer. He didn’t know himself why he didn’t leave once the mark was complete. All he knew was that he wasn’t ready to leave yet.

  “Do you need a ride home?” Officer Stevens asked.

  “Mm, no. I just parked down the street.” Piper muttered, pointing in the opposite direction she’d been walking in earlier.

  Nervously, she took a step forward. Her breath hitching when Evander dropped his arm to his side. She spared one last glance down at her now deceased boyfriend and walked forward as fast as her tall heels would allow. She raced around the corner and pressed herself up against the side of a small, cozy cafe. Evander transported, and reappeared next to her. The wall Piper leaned against had a beautifully painted scene of a forest at sunset. She pressed her hand to her chest and tried to slow her rapid breathing.

  “Ten… nine… eight…” she began to count slowly. Her eyes shut, long lashes fanning out across the top of her flushed cheeks.

  Everything about her was curious. He wanted to know more. He had to know more. He dropped his hood back and allowed her the ability to see him.

  “Four… three… two…” She continued.

  “What are you doing?” He asked. He hadn’t realized he’d spoken out loud until her head whipped in his direction and she let out a yelp of surprise.

  “One—agh!” Piper’s hand jumped to cover her mouth. “How—how did you find me?” she asked.

  “I never left,” He said simply. “You asked me not to.”

  She blinked. Her eyes filled with wonder. No human had ever looked at him like that before. Anger, hate, confusion… those were all emotions Evander understood. He didn’t know how to handle this emotion. Not even sure what emotion it was, he wasn’t ready to give it up. What if no one ever looked at him like that again? The thought caused a hollow pit to form in his stomach. It was a feeling he never had, one that so many of his marks experienced. Fear.

  He was so caught up in the sensation that that look, gave him, he didn’t realize how close she had become. She was just inches away. Evander took an unconscious step back, as Piper moved closer.

  “What… what are you doing?” He asked uncertainly. He took another step back and bumped into the brick wall of the building behind him.

  Her green eyes… his mind refused to focus on any coherent thought other than the mortal in front of him. What was he meant to be doing? The smell of her jasmine perfume mixed with the scent left behind from her floral shampoo. He sunk deeper into the spell she had cast over him.

  Green…

  His eyes dropped to her lips. He could feel her chest rise and fall with each breath, as she leaned into him.

  “You stayed,” she breathed, her dark pink lips parting.

  Evander nodded. He was in over his head, but he couldn’t look away. Couldn’t bear the idea of having to drag himself away. Not yet.

  She placed her hands on his upper arms. Her grip was light, but firm, and she lifted her heels off the ground. Evander’s arms wrapped themselves around her waist without his permission, pulling her against his chest. The heady scent of her filled his nostrils, making him dizzy. Her warmth seeped into his cold body. The beat of her heart pounded against his chest. Piper slid her hands up his shoulders and around his neck.

  “Thank you,” she whispered and buried her face in his shoulder.

  Evander let out a slow sigh and tightened his embrace.

  Two years later…

  Piper entered the large auditorium of her classroom. Statistics 202. She wasn’t looking forward to this class. It was bad enough she had to take it, but having to take it as a night class made her dread it all the more. She trudged up the steps and took a seat in the back of the room. Maybe this term would pass quickly.

  It had been years now, and she still couldn’t stop thinking about him. There was no way someone like that was possible. People didn’t just go around vanishing into thin air and then reappearing. He had felt real when she’d touched him. He�
�d held her tightly against his body. A body that wasn’t cold—but held no warmth. Her heart was drawn to his without explanation or reason. It was terrifying and thrilling, and at the same time, it broke her heart.

  “Evander,” she murmured. It was unusual. His name would echo around in her mind late at night when sleep evaded her.

  She pulled out her notebook and her favorite pen, then tucked her bag under her seat. Leaning over her paper, she scribbled while the other three-hundred or so students filed into the room. The end of her pen bobbed between her lips as she chewed on it. A chill ran down her spine. It was different from the chill of a cold night or of fear. It was a feeling she’d only felt once in her life. The feeling that her life was about to change and nothing would ever be the same again.

  Her mind wondered back to blue, red, and white lights flashing, the weight of a hand on her shoulder, and the cold breath that whispered in her ear. She hadn’t thought much about that night since it had happened. Just the stranger she met and the impossibly blue eyes that haunted her every waking moment. Her life had been a strange dream ever since, nothing seemed real. Her heart felt as though a chunk of it was missing. At first Piper had tried to convince herself that it was because she missed her ex, Tony. But any time she thought of him and their short time together—she felt nothing. Not even an inkling of emotion stirred in her heart. When she thought of the stranger—the one who killed her boyfriend—that is when the emptiness threatened to consume her. How was it possible for a complete stranger—one that kills no less—to have such a profound and lasting effect on her? The feel of his arms wrapped around her, the strength and kindness in his embrace stayed with her.

  Piper scanned the room. Her eyes darted around, trying to find the source. Two rows over and down from where she sat, her eyes locked with a pair of midnight blue eyes. Longish black hair brushed to the side in a careless manner. His gaze bore into her, making her heart skip a beat.

  The pen fell from between her lips and clattered on her desk, as a gasp escaped her. She leaned forward, hoping to get a closer look, but he turned away, as the professor walked in the room. Piper let out a frustrated sigh and clenched her fists.

  “Welcome to Statistics 202, I am Professor Beauregard…”

  She stared at the back of the mystery man’s head throughout the entire lesson, not paying attention to a single word spoken. Her eyes flicked to the clock. Had it only been ten minutes? This class was dragging. She squirmed in her seat, rocking back and forth, trying to get a better glimpse of his face. Maybe she had imagined it. It probably wasn’t him anyway… but what if it was?

  Her eyes darted to the clock again, halfway through.

  Piper had spent so much time thinking about that night, the more time that passed, the more vivid it was in her memory. All memories faded in time, but this one only grew stronger. She couldn’t let it go. She’d felt a spark of something when she first locked eyes with him. And that spark only grew stronger and brighter over the months. Feelings didn’t work this way. It was confusing, and terrifying. She took a deep breath, there was time enough to figure out the implications of her feelings. For now, her focus was on seeing his face.

  She let out a string of curses under her breath. Five minutes left of this class. The professor continued to drone on and on in his monotone voice. It was a wonder anyone in this room was still awake. The clock ticked slowly and painfully to the end of the hour. She should have taken the aisle seat. She plotted her route out of her row. Three sleepy students barred her way to freedom. She shoved her notebook and pen in her bag and clutched it in her lap, her eyes darting between the clock and her target. Her knee bounced in anticipation—ready to jump the second they were dismissed.

  “I will see you all tomorrow night and be ready for your test.”

  Test? She groaned. Maybe she should have paid attention. She told herself it didn’t matter right now, she’d find out what it was over later.

  She jumped to her feet and slung her bag over her shoulder. But she wasn’t fast enough. How had the half-comatose people in her row been able to stand up before her?

  “Excuse me,” she said, shoving her way past them and into the aisle.

  Where was he? Her eyes darted around, frantically searching for him. There! How had he gotten to the doors so fast? She raced down the steps, shoving other students out of the way. Ignoring the cries of indignation from her classmates, she rushed out the door just in time to see him rounding the corner and heading out the doors to the quad.

  Piper raced through the hall and out the door. A blast of cool spring air hit her face. The path leading away from the auditorium was empty. This guy moved fast. A heavy weight settled in the pit of her stomach. She had to catch up to him. She had to know. The large open space before her was deserted.

  Her breathing quickened. She’d missed him. How could he have disappeared so fast? Her shoulders slumped, as she walked over to a tree and leaned her back against it. Her bag slipped through her fingers, and hit the ground with a soft thud. An overwhelming feeling of disappointment threatened to swallow her whole. It probably wasn’t even him, just some random guy, she told herself.

  She leaned her head up and looked at the branches above her head, rapidly blinking. Inhaling a shaky breath, she pushed off and picked up her belongings. She might as well walk the half-mile to her dorm. She had to get up and work in the morning.

  Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Piper trudged her way across the large grassy area in the general direction of her dorm. She had responsibilities she had to think of. Spending her night chasing after a ghost… No he wasn’t a ghost was he? He was a… a… reaper. She never wanted to admit it to herself, it was just too crazy. Telling anyone would have only gotten her locked up in a padded cell with a white jacket with extra-long sleeves.

  Her shoulder bumped into someone, she hadn’t even noticed anyone else out walking. “Sorry.” She mumbled without so much as a glance back.

  “Mmmhmm. It’s fine” A male voice responded.

  Blood drained from her face, and her heart stopped. Piper stopped walking and slowly turned. He was standing still in the same spot she had bumped into him. His back was to her but… the hair, the confidence in his stance.

  Her heart started again, pounding loudly in her ears.

  “Ex—excuse me?” her voice squeaked out.

  “Yeah?” an all too familiar voice answered.

  “I’m sorry I bumped into you.” She floundered.

  He had to turn around, she needed to see his face.

  “Don’t worry about it.” He said dismissively. “Shouldn’t you be getting home? It’s late.”

  “What’s your name?”

  He didn’t respond, and for a long moment he didn’t move. Then, slowly, he faced her. The breath left her body in a whoosh of air. Midnight blue eyes stared back at her as she felt herself being pulled to him with the inescapable force of gravity.

  “Are you…?” Piper started. Deep down in her soul, she knew the answer to her question. But without the cape, without the scythe, could she really be sure? He wore jeans, a tee-shirt and sneakers. He could pass for any normal college student. She swallowed hard. “Evander?” She took one step forward.

  After a moment he nodded.

  “I never thought I’d see you again.”

  “I know.”

  “Why—why are you here now?”

  “I think you know why, Piper.”

  Sure, years later and he suddenly shows up only to give frustratingly mysterious answers. A frown crossed her face. “I never told you my name.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  Her gaze dropped to the ground, heat flooded her cheeks. “I’ve waited to see you again.” She peeked up at him through her lashes, wishing he would say or do something. It was then that the thought hit her, freezing the blood in her veins. “Are you here to kill me?” her voice broke with panic. He hadn’t shown his face in all this time, not since Tony’s death. Evander could only
be here for one reason—he came to claim her life too. She took a step back. How could she spend so much time thinking about him, wanting desperately to see him, and when he finally showed his face it was for her own death.

  “I’ve come for you.”

  “I don’t want to die.”

  He didn’t speak.

  “Please…” she begged.

  “I am not here for your life.”

  “I—you’re not?” his words hardly registered in her mind. If he wasn’t here to take her life. Then why…?

  He took a timid step forward. “Your time will not come for many years.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I wanted to see you again.” Evander closed the distance between them, until he stood a few inches away, holding out his hand. He was so close. She couldn’t think straight. She had been wanting this moment for a long time. It didn’t seem real. She silently prayed that she wasn’t going crazy and imagining this moment.

  Piper stared at his outstretched hand. He couldn’t be saying what she thought he was saying. It was ridiculous. He was a supernatural being, and she was just a human. His hand came up and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

  “Is this real? Are you real?”

  “I am as real as you are.”

  Timidly, she placed a hand on his arm. Relief flooded through her, he was solid. She wasn’t losing her mind and imagining him. Her hand felt hot against his cool skin. She ran her fingers up and down his arm. The chill she’d felt earlier, traveled down her spine again at the contact.

  “Does this mean you missed me?” she asked, her eyes sparkled with mischief, as a smirk formed on her lips.

  “No,” he said simply.

  “No?” she took a step back. “Then why are you here?” Did he know the effect he had on her? Was he toying with her for his own amusement?

  “I never gave myself the chance. I’ve been with you since that day.”

  She didn’t know how to feel about that. A shiver ran through her, partly from excitement of being so close to him again, and partly because death had followed her for the past two years.